Friday, November 11, 2022
Friday: Is Your Past Holding You Back?
November 11, 2022
What pain from your past is holding you back?
Perhaps it’s the loss of a loved one, a choice you regret, something you said you wish you could take back, a broken relationship, a hurt you caused, or maybe, a hurt someone caused you.
In Top Gun: Maverick, Tom Cruise’s character (Maverick) is held back by the pain of losing his best friend (Goose) during a training accident that he blamed himself for. Understandably, it’s difficult for Maverick to move on and step into a new assignment—training a group of pilots, which includes Goose’s son.
Sometimes, it’s not the pain from our past holding us back, it’s our past success. We focus too much on past glories and achievements, gloating about all we have accomplished over the years. This over-identification with our past successes can lead us to become prideful, and pride can lead us to disgrace, conflict, and ultimately, destruction (see Proverbs 11:2, 13:10, & 16:18).
Whether you feel held back from past pain or success, I think there’s one first-century pastor, Paul, who would understand. He experienced great success in his life, but he also experienced much pain and loss. As he went along his adventure with Jesus, he learned an important lesson about letting go of the past that he shared with a church in Philippi.
Philippians 3:13-14
13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us
Paul wasn’t saying it’s easy to let go of past pain or success, but he was saying letting go is an important part of the adventure with Jesus. Yes, we should still learn from and reflect on our past at times, but we should not allow it to dictate and control our daily life.
Thanks to Jesus, we don’t have to be identified with the mistakes of our past and we can find healing from our past pains. When we let go of our past, we are free to fully step into the adventure God has for us today.
Questions:
What pain from your past is holding you back?
What failure from your past are you over-identifying with?
What success / achievement from your past are you over-identifying with?
Next Steps:
If there is a pain from your past holding you back, consider Celebrate Recovery, joining a Group, or finding a friend who you can safely share it with.
Consider seeking professional help from a counselor who can help you explore the pains from your past. Check out our Counselor Referral List HERE.
Prayer:
Father, please help me to let go of the past pain or success that is holding me back. Please help me to step boldly into the adventure you have for me today. Thank you for your sacrifice and love for me. Amen.